With a staggering 16 million people all living in a city the size of London, travellers coming off their Mumbai flights might – at first glance - expect nothing less than a chaotic and unwelcoming place; quite the contrary. Under its tough exterior lies a fascinating city rich in history and culture.
India's financial capital can intimidate the first-time visitor, so the best way to overcome this is by walking through Mumbai’s neighbourhoods, interacting with the locals and just getting immersed in its wonderful sights, sounds and smells. The best way to begin touring the colonial city is at the Gateway of India which was built in 1911 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary. From there most tourists take boat trips to Elephanta Island, where holy temples were carved out of rock between 450 and 740 AD. Another day trip is to the northern suburb of Borivli home of the Buddhist Kanheri Caves which were once used for meditation by the monks during the seventh century AD. Travellers coming off flights to Mumbai in search of a little more excitement needn’t look far, the glitzy restaurants and bars are filled with Bollywood stars and well-heeled Mumbaiians partying till the wee hours of the morning.
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